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Optically transparent and thermally conductive composite films of α-alumina and highly refractive polyimide

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Abstract

Optically transparent and thermally conductive polymer composites are required for next-generation opto-electronic devices. The present work aimed at creating polymer composite films with enough optical transparency and superior normal-to-plane thermal conductivity. We successfully prepared composite films with transmittances more than 80% (at a wavelength of 600 nm) and thermal conductivity more than 0.7 Wm−1 K−1. For the polymeric matrix, we employed a highly refractive polyimide. α-alumina particles distributed in the polyimide matrix enhanced the normal-to-plane thermal conductivity of the composite films significantly. Similar refractive indices of the matrix polyimide and α-alumina particles suppressed light scattering in the polymer composites. The clever choice of the constituent materials conquered a trade-off between optical transparency and thermal conductivity in polymer composites.

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Acknowledgements

This work is based on results obtained from a project, JPNP16010, commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (NEDO).

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  1. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Anagahora 2266-98, Shimoshidami, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, 463-8560, Japan

    Kimiyasu Sato, Yuichi Tominaga & Yusuke Imai

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  1. Kimiyasu Sato
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Sato, K., Tominaga, Y. & Imai, Y. Optically transparent and thermally conductive composite films of α-alumina and highly refractive polyimide. Polym. Bull. 80, 9479–9488 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-022-04528-0

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